Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-08-02
Something a bout the Mormons and
Their Move for statehood

get Utah into the union as state,
and as usual the Gentiles are unit
against it. The Mormons located
here in 1847, and in 1849 organized
all the region east Of the Sierra New
adas and west Of the summit Of the
Rocky Mountains into the Estate of
Deseret." Congress cut off all but
the central section and made that into
Utah territory, which has been cut
down more than half by deducting
Nevada, the western half Of Colorado
and part Of Wyoming. Nevertheless
the Mormons have maintained the
.Deseret" organization and occasion
ally sought admission. In 1872 they
promised to abandon polygamy, and
SO few Gentiles joined in their
movement and influential men in Con-
gress supported it; but the Gentle
delegation to Washington defeated
them. Without further comment, let
it be understood that Gentlles could
endure polygamy, as 1t does not affect
them; but once Utah is state, every
official from governor to constable
would be Mormon, and every Gen.
tile, apostate and liberal would have
to emigrate. If one stayed and was not
thoroughly submissive, the Mormons
could convict him of treaon, murder,
robbery, arson, larcency, and breach
of peace as quick as good penman
could draw afidavits. Gentle miners
: would be taxed to the last gasp, and
the estates of deceased Gentiles would
be administered upon by the Mormon
| church on their apostolic principle of
'laying on of hands''-and what they
lay hands on they generally get away
with. This is the real reason for
Gentle opposition, though, of course
they detest polygamy and use it as 9
lever ut Washington.
r Although the Mormons have insist
n ed that they could not in good con-
science abandon polygomy (they cal
it plurality" or celestial marriage')
and scores of them have gone to the
L penitentiary rather than obey the law
. they now offer to "give up their re
! liglon," as their phrase is, for tn
+" sake of statehood! 1t does not requir,
: strong congressional intellect to se
Is that they are sesking to defraud, ant
u that, once admitted, they woul,
l. promptly repeal the monogamic claus
;" of their state constitution, apply thei
r gyratory fingers to Their. .priestly nose
le and sneer at the American eagle
y Here is "pointer" on this subjec
e. Some weeks since the Gentiles inaue
IN urated move to get up Fourth c
III July celebration.
u All classes were invited to attenc
TX The Mormons rejected the invitatio
u Indignantly. The Mormon press raj
~ ed great stir, stating that the sain
II had nothing to celebrate, but wei
rather in a position for mourning
.st The sentiment on that side SCENE
n. to be in favor of hanging the flags I
n half mast and draping the publ
er buildings, as was done two years as
th on the nations birthday. The boo
mo- for statehood came along, howeve
Ter and caused this peculiar people
ch make change of base. They thu
ief asked to be permitted to join in tt
or. celebration.
IN There is one good result which mr
,n- come from the promise of the chur
n a authorities to give up polygam
di- Those who are now serving terms
ON imprisonment for polygamy are dol
so because the church forbids thu
evading punishment by promising
red obey the law in the future; but III
aid that the church itself is about to ma
an promise of this kind, there will
lo4 nothing in the way of liberty
till these poor men, and there is reas
ght to believe that many of them will
'oth nounce their old practices and !
ears within the law as good loyal citize
Could the system of promising to ol
the law once be made popular,
would do much toward the solut
CT. of the question.
r. Hundreds of the plural wived sal
are tired of the practice of living v
half dozen women, and would "
ingly give all but one them up, wer
it not for the dread OF the az
ater power of the church.
rest 1t is this social and business os
its cism which influences most of
al kL1k 60 d. ~